Mazda CEO charts how to reach 2 percent of world market, rotary engine far from dead

To launch into this year’s LA Auto Show festivities, the Motor Press Guild hosted Mazda president and CEO Takashi Yamanouchi, who proceeded to map out for us Mazda’s plan to go from stylish underdog to a more seriously considered Japanese innovator.

“So long as I remain involved with this company… there will be a rotary engine offering or multiple offerings in the lineup.”

Key to the next decade of planning for Mazda HQ in Hiroshima is the comprehensive vehicle strategy called SkyActiv. At the show today, Mazda, in fact, is showing off its next vehicle with SkyActiv tech onboard, the new CX-5 small crossover with the 2.0-liter direct-injection engine.

Following the Japanese tsunami tragedy in the midst of an already hurting world economy, Yamanouchi emphasized that the worldwide support and open sharing that happened following the tsunami allowed Mazda in particular to get up and fully running in June, just three months after the catastrophe, versus the six to nine months anticipated.